Plural-unit portable building



Feb. 5,1946. E. s. GUIGNON. JR

PLURALUNIT PORTABLE BUILDING 2 sheets-sheet 1 v Filled Nov. 9, 1942 n 1. Z v

Feb. 5, 1946. E. s. GUIGNON. JR

PLURAL-UNIT PORTAiBLE BUILDING:

2 sheet-sheet 2 Filed Nav. 9, 1942 Patented Feb. 5, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT ori-*ICE rLUaAL-Um'r PORTABLE BUnmNG Emile S. Guignon, Jr., Kansas City, Mo. Application November 9, 1942. serial No. 464,915

4Claims.

This invention relates to buildings oi' the portable character, and particularly to that type of structure having a plurality of units arranged to interlock through friction, whereby all of the building parts are maintained assembled, yet in condition for quick separation for purpose of rendering the structure in a knocked-down condition for transportation with the units thereof compactly stacked.

One of the important aims of the instant in vention is to provide a plural-unit, portable building, comprising a number of iiat panels arranged in edge-to-edge relation to form a wall or the like, said wall having structural, weight supporting members at the juncture between proximal edges of the panels to hold the same together and against lateral displacement.

This invention has for one of its salient objects, to provide a sectional, structural member, specially formed to engage adjacent edges of abutting building units and'provided with parts frictionally engageable to maintain the sections thereof in assembled condition and the building units in operative position.

One/of the specic objects of the invention is to provide a sectional structural member comprising two parts substantially T-shaped in cross section and having the webs thereof arranged to frictionally engage, while the heads of the sections grip the building units extending to either side of the structural member.

Heretoiore portable buildings have usually included some fastening means, such as clips, bolts, screws or brackets, which formed a part .of the building structure and which relied upon their inherent contours to maintain themselves in a place where eiective work was performed. A need has arisen in the alt, for portable buildings having units and structural members that are interlocked and yet are maintained assembled without the employment of parts having the characteristics of those above enumerated. Accordingly, this invention comprises wall forming parts that may be used to create ceilings, iloors, 45

building wall made in accordance with Ithe pres- 60 ent invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary condensed cross section-- al view through the wall taken on line II-II of Fis. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary cross sectional view 55 (ci. zii-4) through 4a structural member made to embody a. modified form of the invention.

- Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of a building wall made in accordance with a still further modication o`f the invention; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary cross sectional view through a portion of the Wall taken on line V--V of Fig. 4.

The form of the invention shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 comprises a series of building units 8 arranged in edge-to-edge relation and resting upon foundation I0. This illustrated embodiment is confined to wall structure but it must be borne' in mind that the component parts may be disposed to establish a horizontal continuousubuilding element, such as a floor, ceiling or the like.

Units 8 have longitudinal grooves I2 formed therein which extend inwardly from the two opposed faces to receive flanges I4 of the T-shaped sections I6 and I8 respectively. The structural member comprising sections I6 and I8 is a loadbearing element and constitutes conventional studding when in a vertical position, and Stringer or joist when in a horizontal position. Properly disposed, this sectional structural member will not only serve as means for carrying the necessary load. but will serve to hold together the adjoining units 8 whether they form a wall, ceiling or oor.

Sections I1 and I8 that are illustrated in Fig. 1 are formed of metal having inherent resiliency suicient to establish a grip between web-20 of section I8 and web 22 of section I8. 'I'his last mentioned web has a groove 24 extending longitudinally thereof to receive web 20 when sections I6 and I8 are moved together. As such movement occurs, flanges I4 enter grooves I2 and the free edges of web 22 move laterally from each other and against the proximal edges of unitsl 8. Additiond grooves 2'6 formed in these edges must be disposed to receive the slightly out-turned marginal portions of web 22 to assist in locking all of the aforesaid parts in a unitary condition.

Frictional engagement between webs 20 and 22 and those portions of building units 8 engaged thereby, will suflice to create a structural member rigid in nature and unlikely to accidentally part. A number of detents such as 28 provided of web 22 is not suiiicient to adequately grip of web 22 is not suicient to adequately grip the web 20. When web 20 is forced between the parts of web 22, adjoining units 8 are drawn together and against the marginal edges of web 22.

' The modified form of the invention shown in Fig. 3 includes the additional group of grooves 30 formed to permit the marginal edges of web 22 to snap from one groove to another, thus, if units 8 are close together and web 22 must be forced therebetween, no danger oi a retarding action is presented.

Referring now to Figs. 4 and 5 where the illustrated embodiment comprises parts made entirely of wood-the units 32 are of a nature very similar to those above described but have grooves 34 formed between an inclined face 38 and the end of the unit. Structural members in the form of studding include sections 38 and 38 capable of frictional engagement through the medium of their webs 48 and 42 respectively. The last mentioned web has a longitudinal groove 44 provided therein to receive web 40 of the opposed section.

Heads 48 and 48 of sections 38 and 38 respectively, have longitudinal flanges provided with inclined faces 50 and 52 respectively that bear against faces 38, as the sections of the structural members are forced together. When said sections are in the operative position, the webs thereof are related as shown at the leit oi Fig. 5. The free marginal edges of web 42, are forced against the opposed faces of units 32 to create further frictional interengagement of parts.

kPrior to forcing the sections together, the marginal edges of web 42 are inclined with respect to the opposed -faces of units 32, as shown at the right in Fig. 5. Such disposition insures a full surface contact when section 38 is moved in the direction of the arrow. In some instances, a header 84 extends along the edge of the Wall formed by the abutting units 32. When such is the case, the channel-shaped header 84 will serve as means for precluding accidental parting oi sections 38 and 38 of the structural member.

Units 32 are anchored in place by a base member, such as shown in Fig. 4. This base member has one element thereof anchored to base member 88 while another coacting element is movable to and from a position where each unit 32 is gripped thereby. This sectional base member serves to preclude upward movement of the wall from base 88 and any relative lateral movement on the part of units 32 is precluded by sectional structural members comprising parts 38 and 38.

It will be obvious to one skilled in the art the manner in which the features contemplated by this invention might be embodied in buildings of portable nature, and while only vertical walls have been illustrated and described, it is to be realized that the units above specified, may be assembled to create partitions, floors, ceilings, and many other parts not illustrated.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

l. In a plural-unit, portable building of the character described, a series of units disposed in edge-to-edge relation to form a wall or the like; and a structural member between the proximal edges of said units, said structural members each being formed of two separable, frictionally interengaged sections, said sections being substantially T-shaped in cross section, the web of one section being longitudinally slotted, the web of the other section being within the said slot to hold the heads of both sections against said units. said the web of the other section is within the said sections and said units being provided with shoulders formed to interlock when said webs are in engagement, said shoulders being forced together when the webs of the sections are in the operative position.

2. In a plural-unit, portable building of the character described, a series of units disposed in edge-to-edge relation to form a wall or the like; and a structural member between the proximal edges of said units, said structural members each being formed of two separable, frictionally interengaged sections, said sections being substantially T-shaped in cross section, the web of one section being longitudinally slotted, the web of the other section being within the said slot' to hold the heads of both sectionsagainst said units. said slotted web being in tictional engagement with the opposed edges oi' the proxlma1 units when the web of the other section is within the said slot, said free edges of the slotted web having faces of appreciable area disposed at angles to the opposed edges of the proximal units when the web of the said other section Ais disengaged, and in frictional engagement with the said edges of the units when the sections are together.

3. In a plural-unit, portable building of the character described, a series of units disposed in edge-to-edge relation to form awall or the like; and a structural member between the proximal edges of said units, said structural members each slotted web being in frictional engagement with A the opposed edges of the proximal units when the web of the other section is within the said slot, the heads of each section and the marginal edges of the proximal units having interengaging faces disposed to draw the units together and into tight engagement with the sides of one of the sections of the structural member as the sections of the structural member are forcedtoward each other.

4. In a plural-unit, portable building of the character described, a series of units disposed in edge-to-edge relation to form a wall or the like; and a structural member between the proximal edges of said units, said structural members each being formed of two separable, frictionally interengaged sections, said sections being substantially T-shaped in cross section, the web of one section being longitudinally slotted, the web of the other section being within the said slot to hold`the heads of both sections against said units, said slotted web being in frictional engagement with the opposed edges of the proximal units when the web of the other section is within the said slot, the heads ot each section each having inwardly extending portions at the edges thereof, said units each being slotted along the marginal edge thereof to receive said portions when the sections of said structural members are in engagement with each other. n EMILE S. GUIGNON, Ja. 

